Ravens awaiting second opinion on Terrell Suggs' arm

Caption1. Jacoby Jones' 70-yard touchdown catch with 31 seconds to play sends AFC divisional game against Denver into overtime (Jan.12)

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports, Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Trailing by a touchdown with less than a minute to play, the Ravens¿'season looked over when quarterback Joe Flacco launched a throw that seemingly hung in the air forever, traveling over the outstretched hand of safety Rahim Moore and into the arms of Jones. The Ravens wouldn¿t have made it to...

Trailing by a touchdown with less than a minute to play, the Ravens¿'season looked over when quarterback Joe Flacco launched a throw that seemingly hung in the air forever, traveling over the outstretched hand of safety Rahim Moore and into the arms of Jones. The Ravens wouldn¿t have made it to... (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports, Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

The Ravens' 22-point lead had been whittled down to five when the San Francisco 49ers drove the ball down to their 5-yard line with 2 minutes to play. However, the Ravens forced three straight Colin Kaepernick incompletions and 1:46 later, they were Super Bowl champions.

The Ravens' 22-point lead had been whittled down to five when the San Francisco 49ers drove the ball down to their 5-yard line with 2 minutes to play. However, the Ravens forced three straight Colin Kaepernick incompletions and 1:46 later, they were Super Bowl champions. (GARY HERSHORN, REUTERS)

Caption3. Ray Rice converts on fourth-and-29 in San Diego after catching a check-down pass from Joe Flacco (Nov.25)

Karl Merton Ferron, Baltimore Sun

Rice's gutsy catch-and-run, aided by a crushing Anquan Boldin block, set up Justin Tucker's game-tying field goal late in regulation and the Ravens then won the game in overtime. The Ravens lost four of their next five games following the Chargers' victory so there¿s no telling if they would...

Rice's gutsy catch-and-run, aided by a crushing Anquan Boldin block, set up Justin Tucker's game-tying field goal late in regulation and the Ravens then won the game in overtime. The Ravens lost four of their next five games following the Chargers' victory so there¿s no telling if they would... (Karl Merton Ferron, Baltimore Sun)

A day after a loss to the Washington Redskins, head coach John Harbaugh shook up his coaching staff and nobody could have imagined the move working out any better. In seven games with Caldwell calling the plays, the Ravens' offense averaged 400.6 yards per game and Flacco had 15 touchdown...

A day after a loss to the Washington Redskins, head coach John Harbaugh shook up his coaching staff and nobody could have imagined the move working out any better. In seven games with Caldwell calling the plays, the Ravens' offense averaged 400.6 yards per game and Flacco had 15 touchdown... (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)

Preparing to play his first game in 2 1/2 months, Lewis provided even more excitement and purpose ahead of the Ravens playoff opener against the Indianapolis Colts by saying that his 17th season will be his last. It's fair to debate how much motivation the news provided, but it's hard to argue...

Preparing to play his first game in 2 1/2 months, Lewis provided even more excitement and purpose ahead of the Ravens playoff opener against the Indianapolis Colts by saying that his 17th season will be his last. It's fair to debate how much motivation the news provided, but it's hard to argue... (Larry French, Getty Images)

Suggs tore his biceps in the Ravens’ Dec. 2 home loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He missed just one game because of the injury but he said all along that offseason surgery to repair the tear was a legitimate possibility.

If he decides to have the surgery, it will mark the second consecutive year where the NFL’s 2011 NFL Defensive Player of the Year will face a rehabilitation program in the offseason. Suggs, 30, suffered a partially torn right Achilles tendon last April and eventually had it surgically repaired in early May.

He returned to the field 5 ½ months later – quicker than anybody expected – and had a sack in the Ravens’ Oct. 21 loss to the Houston Texans. However, in his sixth game back, Suggs sustained the biceps injury.

Both injuries left Suggs without the power and explosion that has made him one of the NFL’s most feared pass rushers. Suggs finished the regular season with two sacks and 22 tackles in eight games. However, he was a difference maker in the playoffs with 21 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble in the Ravens’ four victories.

He was relatively quiet in Super Bowl XLVII with two combined tackles in the Ravens’ 34-31 victory over the San Francisco 49ers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

With Ray Lewis retiring and four other key defensive regulars (linebacker Dannell Ellerbe and Paul Kruger, cornerback Cary Williams and safety Ed Reed) heading to free agency, Suggs will be counted on next year to lead a retooled defense.